


Guilty Conscience

by TruebornAlpha



Series: Domestic Nightmare [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Abusive Relationship, M/M, Manipulation, Memory Loss, Recovery, amnesiac scott, unhealthy relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-14 02:03:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7147817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an "accident" cost Scott his memories, Theo convinced him that they were married and kidnapped Scott away to keep him. A chance meeting with a man called Stiles shatters their happy fantasy and Scott's life falls apart. The final chapter of Domestic Nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guilty Conscience

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: “‘THEODORE ‘I DON’T TAKE REJECTION WELL’ STILINSKI RAEKEN” changed to Scott+Theo because it's so much better. 
> 
> This one goes out to the anon who has been sending death/rape threats to the Scerek/Sceo/Sciles fandom and anyone who likes Scott for over two years. They flood Steter/Steo/Sterek blogs with unwanted prompts and since they're so desperate for them, we've decided to help them out by writing a few...just not in the way the troll was hoping. Oops? For more info or to grab some prompts for yourself, check out [Lolscerekanon on Tumblr](http://lolscerekanon.tumblr.com/)

“Scott.” He could hear the anger in Theo’s voice and flinched automatically even though the chimera never raised his hand. His heart raced, chest twisting with the echoes of a forgotten wound. “Where the hell have you been?! Do you have any idea what I went through trying to find you?”

“I’m sorry.” Scott was always apologizing, he couldn’t seem to stop. Theo’s fury made him want to melt into the floor, miserable. He’d screwed up again, he kept doing it over and over. Theo had never been anything but loving and devoted, but here he was flaunting the rules and finding…someone who knew his name. He  _knew_  that other man, the one with the moles along his cheek and the face drawn in worry. Somehow, in the broken mess of his head and the cloudy medication, Scott knew him.

“What the hell were you thinking? I can’t believe you’d be so careless.” Theo snarled, eyes flashing gold in annoyance. “After everything we’ve been through, this is how you thank me.”

“I didn’t mean to make you worry, I just had to know.” It was a weak excuse and Scott could hear it in the way his voice shook. He hated this helpless feeling, groping blindly along his life and hoping he found the right footing. Everything was a trap and with all his memories gone, it was too easy to make a mistake. He squared his shoulders, finding a resolve that Theo hadn’t managed to chase away.

“I saw someone in town and I needed to know if it was just my head playing tricks on me. We wanted me to get my memories back, right? I’m missing all our life together, that’s what I’m trying to remember! I met this one guy, he knew my name, Theo. He knew who I was.”

Theo froze. “Who?”

“I don’t know his name, I just made up some excuse and I left. But what if he does know me? Maybe finding some of my old friends will help me put things back together again.”

His words hung between them. They could have been accusations if Scott was brave enough to twist them into weapons, but he held his breath, certain that he had finally stepped past an unseen limit and ruined everything between them. Just like he always did.

Then Theo took a step closer, and in the span of a second, Scott’s fate was decided as he was pulled into a warm embrace. Theo’s expression was open with concern, and Scott wrapped himself around his best friend, exhaling deeply until it felt like Theo was the only one holding him up. Scott couldn’t help but feel that way, just grateful for the chance to maintain their peace for another moment longer.

“You know it’s not that simple, Scott. You know what we are.” Theo murmured against his temple. Warm breath tickled his ear, but it was dread that made Scott tremble. “He could be a Hunter.  You’ve made this mistake before.”

“I just wish… I just wish we could trust someone.” Scott said, battling his frustrations, but the battle was halfway done once Theo combed his fingers through his hair. When Theo was gentle with him, he wanted to savor it. He never knew how long it would last. 

“Do you trust me?”

The question took him by surprise, enough so that Scott rushed to reassure him. “Of course. Always! You know I do.” 

It seemed to satisfy Theo, and he brushed a kiss against the corner of Scott’s mouth before he pulled away. “I’m just doing what’s best for us, Scott. You’ll understand once you get your memories back. Now, we should get packing. I want to be out of here in an hour.”

“We have to leave?” Of course they did. If someone had recognize them, it was only a matter of time before that man could track them back. But this was their home. It was the only place in the world that felt safe and familiar; he’d just started to rebuild his life here. It was the only thing that he knew and now they were going to have to give this up too.

“It’s not safe anymore, Scott. We don’t have time, it’s too risky and I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Theo bumped his nose against Scott’s, coaxing him closer and kissing him.

“But this is our home.” Scott protested weakly, lulled by his husband’s gentle touch. They had already given up so much and now they’d have to do it again, all because of him. “I’m so sorry.” Another apology. How were they ever supposed to get ahead when all he could do was apologize? Scott tugged gently on Theo’s shirt.

“We’ll be together, that’s all that matters. I’m not letting go of you again.”

It was meant to be a promise, but Scott shivered at the words. He uncurled his hands reluctantly and stepped away as Theo starting pulling open drawers and shoving things in suitcases. He felt numb, following along mechanically as he gathered up clothes and trinkets that meant nothing.

“Keep pack, I’m going to go make a couple of calls and get the car ready.” Theo said, offering Scott a wane smile. 

“Okay. I-I’ll finish this up. And Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“I really am sorry.”

“I can fix this, Scott. Like I’ve fixed your mistakes before.” Theo pinned him with such an inscrutable look that Scott had to turn away. He’d made a mistake, he was sure. For a moment, it had looked like Theo was laughing at him. Then he was gone, and Scott wouldn’t let himself admit he was relieved, not even to himself.

There wasn’t much in their little home. It had all seemed so overwhelming when Scott had first woken from his accident, but when pressed, there wasn’t much he wanted to bring. Beyond their clothes, nothing stood out, not his books, not his guitar. Dutifully he hid his mother’s picture between cotton pajamas to keep the frame safe, but everything else felt useless.

Scott didn’t need an hour to collect their things before he was pulling their luggage out to the main hall. They didn’t have an hour anyway.

There was a low, familiar growl that echoed through the back of his mind as something important. It rumbled through the woods, getting louder and louder with each passing second enough to make Scott look out the window. He got there just in time to watch a rickety blue jeep crash into Theo’s car.

Then everything went up with a bang.

“Scott!” The man warbled at the top of his lungs, stumbling out of the smoking jeep with a desperation that shocked him. Scott would have frozen if he didn’t see the gun in the man’s hand first. Theo was right, he was always right.

The shift came so suddenly that Scott didn’t even notice. Human features twisted into something animal, teeth sharpening and eyes blazing an angry red. He embraced the rage and the fear that coiled inside his belly, throwing himself between their attacker and Theo before he even realized he’d moved. It wasn’t until the howl tore itself from his throat and the man skidded to a stop, flinching away from the sound, that he knew he’d embraced the monster to protect his husband.

This was his mistake and he wasn’t going to let anyone destroy their family again.

“Stay  _away_  from us.” Scott snarled as Theo crossed his arms, giving Stiles a cruel, victorious smirk. 

Stiles leveled the gun, trying to aim over Scott’s shoulder at his true target. “Sorry, buddy. Whatever he’s done to you, we can undo it, but I’m not lettin’ this son of a bitch hurt you any more.”

“Why don’t you listen to Scott and just leave?” Theo said, every word dripping with venom. “He doesn’t want you here, he’s made his choice.” His tone changed, a false fear creeping into his voice. “You can’t let him hurt us, Scott. He’s going to try and kill me, I told you they’re all dangerous.”

“We’re going to laugh about this later,” Stiles whispered, but it was impossible to tell who he was talking to. Scott prepared to lunge, only until Stiles activated the device in his other hand. A shrill, sonic blast echoed through Scott’s skull, freezing him in place as he slammed his hands over his ears, trying to block out the sound to no avail. It felt like needles were piercing through his skull, digging in and out all at once. He doubled over, unaware that he’d started screaming as tears clouded his vision. 

He had no way of knowing that Theo wasn’t affected the same way. Stiles chose that moment to raise his gun.

“NO!”

Scott lunged just as Stiles fired, the shot almost like a whisper when Scott’s head was trying to tear itself apart. He knocked the human to the ground, as Theo screamed, but the sound seemed like it came from a thousand of miles away.

Scott closed his clawed hand around Stiles’s, bones snapping as he ripped the gun away from him and sent it skidding away across the pavement. The beast inside of him fought for control as Stiles screamed and he gave in. Blood sprayed across his face as he cut deep into the human’s chest, ready to end the threat to his family once and for all. Protecting Theo was the only thing that mattered, the one coherent thought that he clung to as howled again, loud enough to splinter the car windows into a thousand pebbled pieces.

“ _Scott_ ,  _stop_!” The half-gasped sob struck Scott hard and he froze, blood dripping from the ends of his claws. The man beneath him was a mess, tears streaking through the blood on his face as he tried to curl himself around his wounds. His body shook, Scott could feel the trembling through his thighs. It was over, the human was broken.

“Kill him!” Theo shouted behind him, snarl winding through his words. “If you don’t kill him, he’s just going to keep coming after us. Tear his throat out!”

“Scotty.” It was the way the man said his name, terrified and pleading, that sent shockwaves through his heart. One trembling, bloodied hand reached out to him, not to hurt, but just to place gently against his chest. More tears leaked from those bright brown eyes that seemed too familiar. “I looked everywhere for you. You’re my best friend and I’m not going let anyone hurt you. I need you.”

It was on the tip of his tongue and half-formed memories flashed through his head. It was a trick, it had to be, but Theo screamed behind him and the only thing he could see was the fear in his captive’s face and the scent of pain. There was something that he wasn’t remembering, something important.

“You’ve still got me, Scotty. No matter what.”

“…Stiles?”

The noise beacon turned off, leaving a deafening silence in its wake, and Scott inhaled sharply. Relief was unwelcome when there was blood on his hands, but the boy beneath him wore a heartbreaking smile.

“Scott.” Stiles whispered, one hand pressed against his bleeding chest. It wasn’t enough to stem the blood flow, not by a long shot, but he grinned like he didn’t have a care in the world. “My Scott.”

Scott couldn’t tell him he had no memory of every being his  _anything._

An inhuman snarl tore him away from the familiar stranger, and still he could recognize it as his husband’s. Scott turned, expecting the worst, and he still gasped in horror. He’d never seen Theo so furious, eyes like molten gold, his claws tearing through his hands, features twisted in feral rage. Theo was finally being honest.

“Then I’ll kill you myself.”

“Theo wait!”

His husband charged at Scott first, knocking him aside when the alpha hesitated. Then he was on Stiles, ready to tear him to shreds, and Scott couldn’t let him. God help him, Scott couldn’t let him.

Stiles snarled around a mouthful of blood, reaching for his gun, only to lose it as Scott tackled Theo off of him, ignoring vicious claws and cruel fangs to keep him pinned.

There was no mercy in the way Theo fought Scott, nothing of the gentle husband he’d known. This was a beast, enraged by Scott’s apparent betrayal and willing to hurt him to get what he wanted. The chimera scrabbled against the wolf, raking his claws down Scott’s face as Scott tried to keep him pinned.

“You dare!” He snarled, flecks of spittle spraying with his words. “I gave you everything and you turn on me?”

“Theo, calm down!” Scott begged, but it was no use. The butt of the gun cracked into his jaw as Theo waved it wildly. They struggled as Scott tried to wrestle it away from him, terrified for the first time that the man he loved would actually pull the trigger. When the gun went off, they both froze in shock, warm wetness pooling between them.

It was Theo who finally gasped, mouth open as he tried to suck in rattling breaths, but an artificial monster couldn’t heal a wound to the heart. He dug his claws into Scott’s cheek, scoring down his skin like he could hold on to his prize before he gurgled and the golden glow flickered out. With a sigh, he slipped away.

Scott screamed, cradling the bloody body against him as he rocked. Tears poured down his ruined cheeks and his life fell apart in his arms. “Please don’t leave me. Theo I’m sorry! Wake up, please wake up. You can’t leave.”

He cried until there was nothing left for him to give, trying to stop the bleeding with clumsy hands even if part of Scott knew he was already too late. He lost himself, a slave to his grief as his shattered mind scrambled to make sense of everything that had happened when his anchor had died before his very eyes, and it was his fault. All his fault.

A gentle hand curled around his shoulder, but Scott still flinched away. Stiles was patient with him, crouching by his side. His entire body teetered unsteadily, and he leaned into Scott like he couldn’t help himself. It hurt to look at him. So Scott didn’t. Just this once, he let himself be selfish, let himself hold the love of his life close and mourned the man he thought he knew.

It was a long time before anyone came for them.

* * *

They were all there, the people from his dreams and half-formed fantasies. They said they were his friends, his pack. Dr. Deaton. His mother. They’d been scattered to the winds, but they all came running when he needed their help. Kira had missed two weeks of classes. Malia hadn’t slept in as long. Lydia’s sorority thought she was in Barcelona.  


It hurt to look at them too.

And then there was Stiles, an anxious shadow by his side that never seemed to leave. Scott pieced together enough fragments to know the quiet worried support was unusual, his mind clearing the longer he was off Theo’s drugs.

Drugs, not medicine. None of it had been real.

It was hard to pull apart the lies Theo had fed him and even when he knew it had been the worst sort of manipulation, Scott couldn’t accept it. He should be furious, but his anger lashed out in every direction instead of at the one person who deserved it. He should hate Theo for everything he did, but his heart ached for the lie. He’d been in love and maybe it was only because he’d been tricked and drugged, but the feeling lingered like an infection. He mourned the life they never had and the family they could have been. How many times did he have to lose everything before there was nothing left to take?

“I thought you might be hungry.” Stiles hovered in the doorway with a pizza box stretched out like an offering and Scott gave him a weak smile.

“It’s alright, I think I might just sleep. I’m tired.” He’d been sleeping for days, hiding away in a room that didn’t feel like his own instead of facing the world and the memories that came rushing back. If he was honest for himself, he wanted to hold on to the lie for just a little longer. It was nice to believe he’d been loved and maybe, just maybe, that part of it had been real.

Stiles didn’t say a word, lips pressed together unhappily as he dropped the pizza box on the desk and flopped back on the bed beside him. Scott almost protested, but somehow he didn’t think it would matter much. They sat in silence, minutes stretching out forever until Stiles finally spoke, the words quiet and cutting deep into Scott’s battered heart.

“You were happy with him.”

“I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to be.” Scott said. He kept his tone mild, but it still felt too much like an accusation. Beside him, Stiles winced. Scott pretended not to see, just like he pretended not to see those thick bandages that jutted out of his shirt or notice the scent of blood and alcohol that followed him wherever he went. If there was any chance Scott had wanted to eat earlier, it was gone now.

It was easier to remember the good memories. Suddenly there were just so many to choose from. The moments Theo overplayed his hand or slipped out of character ceased to matter. The bars of his carefully constructed trap never felt as solid as they did in his death. All the times Scott had doubted Theo came back to haunt him. Sleep was the easiest escape, and most days, Scott didn’t know how he managed anything else.

“He was always good at… making people need him. It wasn’t your fault.” 

It just felt like it was, and some days, Scott was sure the guilt was going to strangle him. He let the silence linger between them. Stiles did this sometimes. Scott knew it was just a matter of time before he lost his nerve. Scott could wait him out. It’d seem faster if he just went to sleep.

A tentative hand brushed against his, and Scott tensed reflexively, but all Stiles did was slip his fingers against his palm.

“It gets easier,” Stiles said, after almost too long. “Not quickly, and not all at once, but it will get easier. It won’t hurt as bad, and I’m gonna be here every day to tell you it wasn’t your fault. Especially on the days when you don’t believe me.”

Scott didn’t know what to believe anymore, even the truth felt like fiction and his own heart was a betrayal, but there was one thing that felt solid when everything else was slipping away. Stiles would always be with him. He could feel it down to his core, a quiet and unmovable truth even if he didn’t remember the steps leading to it. It had been Stiles’s eyes that haunted his dreams, the feel of these calloused hands against his, the name that slipped from his lips when he called out in need.

Theo had stolen his life away and scrambled it, but through all he lost, there was this one last piece that made sense. He squeezed Stiles’s hand, leaning gratefully against the man beside him and closed his eyes, trying to remember. It would take a long time to be okay again, if it was even possible, but at least he wouldn’t have to do it alone.

“I believe you, Stiles.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find Dans's awesome fics [here](http://nevertrustastilesthing.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can read Rune's stuff [Here](http://fightingforthepack.tumblr.com/) and find her on tumblr at [ Runicscribbles](http://runicscribbles.tumblr.com)


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